Summary This position is located at the VA Eastern Colorado Health Care System (ECHCS) in the Environmental Management Service (EMS) and under the general supervision of the EMS Chief with the primary purpose of administrative and managerial responsibility for the Environment of Care (EOC) Division. Responsibilities Major duties include but not limited to: Function independently with minimal supervision and applies own judgement to meet Executive and Leadership intent and end-state. Directs and evaluates the performance of a Senior Supervisory Wage Supervisor, Technical Staff, and all Housekeeper personnel operating on a three-shift, twenty four hour, seven day - three hundred sixty five days a year work mission requirement. Manages and determines priorities for Housekeeping, Waste Management, Equipment Management and Training, Support Section Supervisor (Linen/Textiles, Supply, Grounds Maintenance, Uniforms and Recycling). Act for and in the stead of the Service Chief upon his/her absence or as required. Establishes all goals and policies within the guidelines of applicable VA and local policies and procedure of the ECHCS. Responsible for planning, organizing, directing, controlling and evaluating the entire Environment of Care program including budgetary requirements for the EOC Division, control and assessments. Attends Infection Control Committee meetings, Nurse Manger meetings, Green Environmental Management (GEMS) meetings and Environmental Rounds. Engages in activities related to the management and/or administration of facilities policies, procedures, standards and goals. Develops and applies a program of management review, appraisal and improvement. Assures the entire program operates at a high level of effectiveness. Assist Deputy Service Chief establish the maintenance and development of ongoing equipment maintenance programs and required training programs, consisting of orientation, in-service training and outside training for all staff. Manages and ensures the EOC program delivers and emphasizes the maintenance of environmental sanitation within acceptable levels of bacteriological as well as visual cleanliness. Implements, coordinates and controls a comprehensive program with the unilateral authority to make necessary changes needed for the benefit of patients, staff and visitors The position requires operation of a motor vehicle to perform assigned duties. Work Schedule: Tuesday - Saturday 3:00 pm -11:30pm Flexible: Authorized Telework: VA supports the use of telework as a way to help attract and retain talented individuals in public service, increase worker productivity, and better prepare the agency to operate during emergencies. This position may be authorized for telework. Telework eligibility will be discussed during the interview process. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Assistant Hospital Housekeeping Officer/PD10773-0 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: May be Authorized Requirements Conditions of Employment You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959 You may be required to serve a probationary period Subject to background/security investigation Pre-employment physical required Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP) Participation in the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination program is a requirement for all Veterans Health Administration Health Care Personnel (HCP) - See "Additional Information" below for details. Qualifications To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 12/02/2024. Individual Occupational Requirements Education Undergraduate Education: Major study -- chemistry or biological sciences, sanitary science or administration, institutional sanitation or administration, hospital administration, hotel administration, public administration, business administration, or other fields related to the position. Graduate Education: Major study -- public health or business administration with emphasis in hospital administration. or Experience General Experience (for GS-5 positions): Examples of qualifying general experience include: Work that provided a practical knowledge of supervision and management. General administrative work in institutional or building maintenance with responsibility for employing and directing a housekeeping, laundry, or maintenance force; and responsibility for planning work schedules on both a short- and long-term basis. Performance of administrative duties that included estimating budget requirements, planning expenditures of funds, estimating materials and equipment needs, supervising employees, and recommending personnel actions. Teacher in a formal course of instruction related to supervision or management. Work that provided a practical knowledge of methods by which bacteria and viruses are spread and of preventive and control measures. Specialized Experience (for positions above GS-5): Experience in two or more of the following areas, or other work related to the position to be filled: Experience that demonstrated a practical working knowledge of the basic principles of chemistry, biology, and bacteriology as applied to environmental sanitation, infection control, and to the choice and use of antimicrobial agents in the disinfection, sanitization, and/or sterilization of surfaces and equipment. Experience in laundry and linen management. Experience in interior design management. Experience that demonstrated a knowledge of waste management, including the requirements relating to hazardous, toxic, and infectious wastes and provisions for their final disposition. Experience that demonstrated a knowledge of pest management, including alternative methods of control and the selection and application of chemicals. Other: One year of formalized hospital administrative residency or internship in hospital administration or hospital housekeeping management is equivalent to 1 year of GS-5 level specialized experience. Time-In-Grade Requirement: Applicants who are current Federal employees and have held a GS grade any time in the past 52 weeks must also meet time-in-grade requirements by the closing date of this announcement. For a GS-12 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-11. The grade may have been in any occupation, but must have been held in the Federal service. An SF-50 that shows your time-in-grade eligibility must be submitted with your application materials. If the most recent SF-50 has an effective date within the past year, it may not clearly demonstrate you possess one-year time-in-grade, as required by the announcement. In this instance, you must provide an additional SF-50 that clearly demonstrates one-year time-in-grade. Note: Time-In-Grade requirements also apply to former Federal employees applying for reinstatement as well as current employees applying for Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) appointment. You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below: Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-11 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: advanced sanitation programs and a working knowledge of hospital sanitation programs within the facility in the areas of: environmental sanitation; laundry/linen operations; interior/exterior pest control, grounds maintenance, and biological regulated medical waste handling and disposal; analytical ability to research, assemble, and compile information and data, evaluate the results against appropriate standards, and recommend corrective action where indicated; pertinent regulations and policies as they apply to the duties of the position and to the functions of all environmental operation program area; ability to plan work to be accomplished by subordinates, set and adjust short-term priorities, and prepare schedules for completion of work. Assigns work to subordinates based on priorities, selective consideration of the difficulty and requirements of assignments, and the capabilities of employees; Develops performance standards and evaluates work performance of subordinates. Gives advice, counsel, or instruction to employees on both work and administrative matters; Identifies developmental and training needs of employees, providing for and arranging for needed development and training. Has work knowledge of the negotiated labor agreement; state local and federal regulations, requirements, and other standards pertaining to textile care operations, waste management, sanitation operation, infection control and health care environment requirements. You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Communications Hazardous Materials Infection Control Performance Measurement Project Management Quality Management Team Building Writing Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religions; spiritual; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. Note: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities. Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must indicate clearly the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment. Physical Requirements: The work is of a general administrative nature with some walking, standing and carrying light loads of papers, books, or reports that do not require special physical demands. Incumbent must work in a sitting position; walk; stand, stoop, turn, climb. Normal physical activity is required with no restrictive action. Incumbent can be exposed to extreme temperatures, hazardous chemicals, lint, various noise levels, high humidity, moving equipment, contaminated soiled textiles, etc. For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/. Education A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education. Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/. Additional Information Receiving Service Credit or Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed. This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. Pursuant to VHA Directive 1193.01, VHA health care personnel (HCP) are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 subject to such accommodations as required by law (i.e., medical, religious or pregnancy). VHA HCPs do not include remote workers who only infrequently enter VHA locations. If selected, you will be required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and submit documentation of proof of vaccination before your start date. The agency will provide additional information regarding what information or documentation will be needed and how you can request a legally required accommodation from this requirement using the reasonable accommodation process. If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement. Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.